Causes and Opportunity of Crime

List the problems with Traditional Crime Theory

The Traditional Crime Theory poses a number of problems as it takes into account the causes such as, up bringing of a child and his genetic make up and how he is developed through out his life through his social interaction with the society and other people in his life. These reasons require quite in depth study and therefore are out of reach of everyday practice. In order to understand the crime rate pattern on the basis of these mentioned factors would be very complicated process. And even if the answers were obtained, it would only present answer in the format that, why certain people are inclined to committing crime than others. For example a child from a certain genetic make up and from certain up bringing is more likely to commit crime than a child who is from a different background. It does not answer the valuable question of WHY a certain individual will commit crime. What is the reason which will cause an individual to take the path of crime? This is where the Opportunity Theory provides answers by giving reasons why certain individual will commit crime.

Why are some "causes" of crime more problematic than others?

It is not easy to define a root cause for the crime. These are many theories that begin to find the cause for crime and come up more questions than the answers. If you trying to locate a cause of the crime to its genetic make up, it presents many problems. As it is understood that genetic make is dependent on chance and can never be pin pointed to a great accuracy and have to be relied on a probability ratio, it can never  for certainty link a  cause to the crime. And there fore can not be used as a valid assessment. Most of the findings that rely on the probability or percentage ratio create controversy with disputes about meaning of statistics and the validity of the analysis.

On other hand when crime is describes as the function of a setting, its cause is understood with a relative ease. For example if you have a bar full of young males watching a foot ball match and drinking heavily. It is more likely that there will be a fight because of the setting of the environment and the genetic make or upbringing of these individuals will not come onto describing the cause for the outbreak of any fight.

What is the basic idea of Opportunity Crime?

This theory relies on a single principle, that opportunity will create crime. If there is an opportunity where there is a temptation or attraction of something to be obtained quite easily, it will be taken up. If this opportunity is removed, it removes the chances of temptation and crime can be stopped. For example if a car is parked in an area where presence of CCTV is highlighted, this will reduce the temptation and will distract a car thief and prevent him from stealing it. Whereas if the same car is parked in an area where there is no presence of CCTV, no apparent police activity and not many by passer, this is providing a car thief with a huge opportunity to steal the car. And if the car is not alarmed and is left open, then the opportunity is as good as committing the crime itself.

Therefore controlling the opportunities will gain a control on the criminal the activities. A reduction in opportunities will present a decline in the crime rate. If an estate is openly built where it is well lit at night time, has a good neighbourhood scheme in place, an adequate police activity and CCTV in place, there are reduction in opportunities to commit crime. Therefore the crime rate will decline in this estate by preventing the offenders to take up the opportunities.

The opportunity crime theory provides reasonable grounds and approaches for practical control of crime.